Utah should be asking for Pierce, a young player like Bradley or Sullinger, and a first round pick.

No way.Jefferson is a redundant piece in that Jazz squad. They have Millsap, Favors and Kanter to go with. Honestly, a veteran scorer like Pierce is definitely enough for them to pull the trigger. Add in Bradley and they'll have your statue erect in their court.

Even if Jefferson is a redundant piece, that doesn't mean Utah should just give him away. They definitely should be asking for a young player and a draft pick, plus trade ballast who don't represent long-term salary commitments.

I suggest that a reasonable strategy for Utah is to try to trade one of Milsap/Jefferson for cheap talent (draft picks and/or players on a rookie scale contract) and try to re-sign the other in the off-season, while keeping open the option of a big free agent signing. Utah should absolutely reject any combination of Green/Bass/Lee/Terry in a trade if that is their plan. So, to make a trade with Utah, you either need to find a third team to take on a pupu platter of mid-level guys in exchange for an expiring contract or you need to move Pierce and his partially guaranteed contract. Utah would then either waive (or buy out Pierce) or move him in another trade.

Well, I looked at it from the Celtics' perspective. It's, just as you said, not like Utah is going to re-sign both Jefferson and Millsap for future, so, they'll most likely be looking forward to move one of them.Obviously, they're not going to give away that one for trash, but I'd be reluctant to give them a best-case offer initially.

Short rationale: Paulie Pancakes needs to stay a career-Celtic. It is part of his identity as a player and he's smart enough and sentimental enough himself to not only know that, but to VALUE that.

Longer answer with no rationale:

#1. I'd have Al Jeff back any day of the week as long as we're not losing PP, KG, Rondo, or Sullinger. Rondo and Sullinger are the only 2 (aside from Bradley but he's my chip here) AlJeff would be playing with in 3 years.

#2. Also, the only way I'd want AlJeff back is if he got to play with KG. The narrative element of those 2 coming together after Al being traded for KG which delivered us 2008 would be too much for me to bear as a fan. I'd be crying with joy every game.

#3. More importantly, AlJeff getting to play with KG is his only chance of living up to his potential. He needs to learn every sort of defense and KG is the only one that will be able to hold him accountable to the point of educating, not berating or scolding. If KG can't do it, no one can.

#4. Sullinger is NEVER going to play the 3. Unless he loses 20 pounds and keeps shooting that 18 footer from the top of the key AND gets quick enough to drive on anyone when he's +8 feet out.

#5. Jefferson is, in deed redundant in the Jazz lineup BUT he is still a valued piece of their offense, and frankly, how could he not be. He is the only low-post slow down scorer in the NBA. Other than being a black hole, he is the only "slow-down" player in the NBA besides every PG trying to eat up clock or Paul Pierce simply because he's old. I love the idea of clock management while scoring in the paint and potentially getting opponents in foul trouble.

jefferson contract is for $15 mill, you need $9.9 mill to make a trade work

however

there is this thing called BYC, under BYC players who recieved more than 20% raises over there previous salaries, for trade purposes half there salary counts or there previous salary whatever is bigger

green and lee are BYC players, for trade purposes there salaries become 4.45 (what green made last time he played) and 2.5 million (0.5 of courntey current contract) therefore to get 9.9, even if you trade both green and lee and add sully and melo you get to about 9.5 mill, still short of 9.9 mill, therefore you still need to add collins or joseph or something.

So therefore to get al and not trade paul, you need about 5 players going out at least

jefferson contract is for $15 mill, you need $9.9 mill to make a trade work

however

there is this thing called BYC, under BYC players who recieved more than 20% raises over there previous salaries, for trade purposes half there salary counts or there previous salary whatever is bigger

green and lee are BYC players, for trade purposes there salaries become 4.45 (what green made last time he played) and 2.5 million (0.5 of courntey current contract) therefore to get 9.9, even if you trade both green and lee and add sully and melo you get to about 9.5 mill, still short of 9.9 mill, therefore you still need to add collins or joseph or something.

So therefore to get al and not trade paul, you need about 5 players going out at least

Understand the CBA and was throwing ideas around simply to say there's ALWAYS a way to make it work. Also, would have no problem throwing around Collins or Joseph for Big Al.

jefferson contract is for $15 mill, you need $9.9 mill to make a trade work

With the hard cap due to using the full MLE, the Celtics probably need to send out something more like $14m.

Logged

"The worst thing that ever happened in sports was sports radio, and the internet is sports radio on steroids with lower IQs.” -- Brian Burke, former Toronto Maple Leafs senior adviser, at the 2013 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

I'd sooner trade Pierce for Pau - Pau can actually play a bit of defense at the 5 spot in addition to scoring/rebounding.

Might as well, if your gonna screw up , get something for it.. :LA is where Pierce would land no doubt comming off the bench helping LA win couple more championships. He is from LA , nice weather and he would be going home playing for more rings . I'm sure that is his plan if BOSTON trades him or hangs him out to dry...he an't gonna play on UTAH , MINN, PHIL , INDY or any other third world NBA team.

Best thing for my all out mental health , is for PP to stay in Boston till he retires .

I like Jeffrson, but I would prefer the team go after Smith, Milsap, or Gortat. Pierce is obviously a definitive Celtic, but his game and lack of athleticism can be painful to watch at times. To me, with Pierce its either feast or famine. Usually you get that spectrum of play within a single game. Having said all that, trading Pierce could be potentially devastating to the teams chemistry; therefore, the only potentially attainable player I would trade Pierce for would be Rudy Gay. The way the Grizz are playing now, I doubt they would trade him. But, if they stumble, I could see them wanting to reduce payroll and let Gay go. If Gay does become available, it would be worth the risk to trade pierce. Gay is a star player that can do it all. Plus, he is one of the few players that challenges Lebron on both ends of the floor.